Heating system



June 15, 1943. c. ELLIS HEATING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 29, 1941 INVEIITOR.(I/Amt: ELL/J TTORNEY.

Patented June 15, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATING SYSTEMCharles Ellis, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Application December29, 1941, Serial No. 424,697

5 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in heat ing systems which areadapted for use in heating buildings, steam tables, kettles and thelike.

The objects of the invention are to provide means for heating a liquidor vapour circulating medium, which will be quick and economical in useand can be installed in any position close to or remote from the pointof utilization of the heat generated.

The invention contemplates the use of interrupted or alternatingelectrical current of any desired voltage and frequency and salinesolution through which the current flows to instigate the generation ofthe primary heat, as will be more fully described in the followingspecification and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevational view of the invention partlyfractionated to show the hot water coil.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

The numeral l indicates a primary heating chamber or boiler having sideand top walls 2, a bottom wall 3 and end walls 4 and 5. The end wall 5is preferably removable to afford access to the inner parts of theboiler to be described as the specification proceeds.

Extending through the end wall 5 into the boiler is a lower header 6 andan upper header I, which latter would serve as a water header in case ofa water circulating system and. as a steam header when used as a steamheating sysw tern. Connecting the headers 6 and I are curved. Watertubes 8. One or more risers 9 are taken off from the header 1 to thepoints of use of the, secondary heat and one or more wet return pipesare connected to the header 5. The headers. 6 and 1 and their componentparts constitute 1a,, heating coil H and will generally be referred toas such.

The boiler I is provided at its uppermost point. with a pipe 12 whichconnects with a condenser, l3 of any suitable type and a gas outlet pipel4v having a blow off valve connected with the, upper part of thecondenser. An expansion tank, I8 is provided, which communicates withthe boiler through a pipe l9 which enters said boiler. well below thenormal liquid level indicated at X. The condenser would be placed abovethe. level of the expansion tank to insure that vapours;

only enter the condenser from the boiler. Ex-. 5

tending through one or both of the side walls 2 are electrodes 22 whichare connected to the leads 23 of a three phase alternating currentsupply line 24. The current flow through said leads is controlled by theusual switch 25 and also by a suitable thermostatic switch 26 cut in onthe line so that when a desired temperature is attained the currentsupply will be cut off. Fuses 21 are cut in on opposite sides of thethermostatic switch 26.

The boiler is filled to somewhat below the line X with a solution Sconsisting of water and from one half to ten per cent of mineral salts,preferably sodium chloride, of the water content. Other mineral saltswhich are water soluble may be used. When the switch 25 is closedelectrons pass from one electrode towards another and reverse theirdirection with each alternation of the current. The electrons causedissociation of the molecules of the solution at approximately thefrequency of the current and the dissociated molecules become atomicions and surge towards the electrode which has their opposite charge.Due to the alternation of current flow these atomic ions or chargedatoms move back and forth between any pair of electrodes at high speedcausing friction which results in heat in the solution S. Where anaqueous solution of sodium chloride is used the dissociation of themolecule of the aqueous solution of sodium chloride leaves some chargedatoms of Na, some charged atoms of Cl, some of O and some of H whichwill flow towards their opposite electrode and on reaching saidelectrodes these respective atoms will give up their charges and are fora period free atoms. Atoms of hydrogen and chlorine form molecules ofhydrogen and chlorine gas which are given off and pass through thecondenser l3 and are liberated through the pipe M, the valve [5 of whichwould be left open until all of said gases have escaped and may still beleft open if temperatures less than that of steam at atmosphericpressure is required in the solution. The sodium atom being very activein water dissociates some of the hydrogen from the water, leavinghydroxll molecules, the hydrogen escaping, while the hyroxil combineswith some of the sodium salts to form sodium hydroxide and probably somehypochlorite, which formation generates further heat. When all thechlorine and liberated hydrogen has escaped the solution within theboiler becomes an aqueous solution of sodium hydrox ide. Such water asis carried off in vapour form, will be condensed in the condenser l3 andreturned to the boiler I, and any chlorine and hydrogen gas carried overwill be vented through the pipe l4. Heat therefore is obtained by thedissociation of the chemical reagent in water due to electron flow fromone electrode to the other through the solution, also by the formationof matter from said reagent and its component parts, from the solutionof components and from the friction caused by violent agitationincidental to these processes.

Experiment shows that increasing the fre quency of the current increasesthe frequency of dissociation, formation and solution of molecules ofthe metallic solution.

When the unwanted amount of hydrogen and the chlorine gas have beendriven off from the boiler, the boiler can be used as in a pressuresystem so that temperatures may be attained sufiicient for thegeneration of steam in the coil ll.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The method of heating which consists of dissociating some of themolecules of a sodium chloride solution contained in a sealed vessel bypassing an alternating electric current through said solution, ventingoff corrosive gases from the solution, heating the solution by saidcurrent to more than atmospheric pressure.

2. The method of heating which consists of dissociating some of themolecules of a sodium chloride solution contained in a sealed vessel bypassing an interrupted unidirectional electric current through saidsolution, venting off corrosive gases from the solution, heating thesolution by said current to more than atmospheric pressure.

3. The method of heating which consists of dissociating some of themolecules of a sodium chloride solution contained in a sealed vessel bypassing an alternating electric current through said solution, ventingon" corrosive gases from the solution while maintaining a substantiallyconstant pressure in the vessel, heating the solution by said current tomore than atmospheric pressure and transferring the heat from thesolution into an indirect heating medium.

The method of heating which consists of dissociating some of themolecules of a sodium chloride solution contained in a sealed vessel bypassing an interrupted unidirectional electric cur* rent through saidsolution, venting off corrosive gases from the solution whilemaintaining a substantially constant pressure in the vessel, heating thesolution by said current to more than atmospheric pressure andtransferring the heat from the solution into an indirect heating medium.

5. A heating device comprising a primary heat generator, a secondaryheating coil within the generator and having a steam outlet and a waterinlet, said primary heat generator having totally immersed electrodesand fitted with a top outlet, a condenser directly connected with thetop outlet by a pipe, a vapour discharge communicating with thegenerator through the condenser, said pipe serving to convey condensatefrom the condenser back to the primary heat generator.

CHARLES ELLIS.

